1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for generating a forbidden channel list for a combined wireless communication station.
2. Description of the Related Art
As wireless technology becomes more and more popular, a variety of wireless applications are rapidly developed. Nowadays, many researches are devoted to improving data transmission quality over wireless networks to meet the needs of those applications. The most common wireless protocols used at 2.4 GHz are IEEE 802.11 b/g and Bluetooth technology, both of which have great potential in wireless applications. Wireless local area network (WLAN) systems are developed based on IEEE 802.11 standard specifications, and are typically operated within a 100-meter range. Bluetooth systems, on the other hand, are usually used in the WPANs (wireless personal area network) within short distances, such as in a wireless computer mouse, keyboard, earphones, and other personal apparatus.
IEEE 802.11 b/g and Bluetooth modules both operate at 2.4 GHz ISM band. Although the modulation methods and the spread spectrum topology of two protocols are different, a collision of transmissions occurs and interference results when the transmissions of the IEEE 802.11 b/g modules and Bluetooth modules overlay in a nearby frequency band.
FIG 1 shows a frequency band usage condition. Referring to FIG 1, frequency bands of some of the hop channels used by the Bluetooth modules during a frequency hopping operation overlay the frequency bands used by other WLAN modules and causes interferences. The interference during the frequency hopping operation may be avoided if the Bluetooth modules can skip the frequency bands used by other WLAN modules.
FIG 2 shows another frequency band usage condition. Referring to FIG 2, frequency bands of the hop channels used by the Bluetooth modules during a frequency hopping operation do not overlay the frequency bands used by other WLAN modules, so that it can avoid the interference between the Bluetooth modules and the WLAN modules during the frequency hopping operation. In addition, to further avoid the frequency bands used by other WLAN modules, the Bluetooth module should also avoid selecting the channels with unqualified quality during the frequency hopping to operation.
There is a need to provide a method and apparatus for generating a forbidden channel list for a combined wireless communication station so that a Bluetooth module of the combined wireless communication station can exclude the channels shown in the forbidden channel list when selecting channels or when performing a frequency hopping operation.